Important information for U.S. citizens!

Recently the U.S. Consul General from Nogales, Virginia Staab and the Consular Section Chief, J. Michael Harvey put on a presentation for all U.S. citizens living in Puerto Peñasco. They covered a lot of issues that were of concern to many in the crowd such a Bank Trusts and buying property in Mexico. They also stated that they are going to try to have meetings every 3 months.

One of the most important things they informed the group about is a program called STEP or Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This is a free service and your information will not be shared with anyone other branch of the United States government such as the IRS, etc. What this program does is to let the U.S. Consulate know that you are either living or visiting abroad by registering at the nearest U.S. Consulate. By registering you will receive important travel warnings and other safety conditions in your destination country in order to help you make informed decisions about your travel plans. It will help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether it is a natural disaster, civil unrest or a family emergency. It will also help family and friends get in touch with you in case of an emergency.

In all areas of Mexico where there is a large population of American’s living you will find people that are volunteers for the U.S. Consulate and they are referred to as Wardens. The job of these volunteers is to help you or a loved one in case of emergency. For example if your child who might be here on “Spring Break” should get hurt and is taken to the hospital or clinic, the U.S. Consulate will notify the warden who then goes to see what the person needs. They will be asked to sign a Privacy Act form, so that the warden can give you as a parent all the info on the injured person. This can relate to auto accidents or anything effecting a tourist or resident in Mexico. In Rocky Point there are 2 people to contact, one being Rick Busa and the other is myself Beverly Arrowood. Although we have not had to be called on very often, know that we are here to help when needed.

To register simply go to https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/step.html/ or for a specific country like Mexico go to https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/mexico.html/. It is very simple to do and only takes a couple of minutes. You can register individuals or groups traveling to Mexico.

You can also reach the U.S. Consulate General in Nogales during business hours (8 am to 5 pm) by dialing 01-81-8047-3145 from Mexico or 011-52-81-8047-3145 if calling from the U.S. For emergencies out side of the normal business hours or weekends the number to call from Mexico is 001-619-841-3203 and if calling from the U.S. 1-619-841-3203.

If you would like information on the services provided by the U.S. Consulate General in Nogales you can reach them at https://mx.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/nogales/.

Full time resident of Puerto Peñasco since 2004. Originally from Wisconsin, I migrated to Phoenix in 1973 and then Mexico. Married to Bill, 2 children, 3 grand children, 2 great grand babies and 2 German Shepherds share my life. Love to walk to beach and go shelling and traveling to Lodi and Paso Robles to visit wineries as well as visiting the Valle de Guadalupe wineries near Ensenada, Mexico.